The Pioneer Days Committee will meet again on Tuesday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Taste of Caddo restaurant
The group is an offshoot composed of Opera House Theatre Players board members as well as business owners and individuals in Jefferson and Marshall.
They continue to plan for the first-ever Old Pioneer Days on Labor Day in weekend in Jefferson.
The idea is an additional promotion for the much-anticipated appearance of the famous Sons of the Pioneers musical group that will present a concert on Monday, Sept. 6.
The concert will be held at the Tourist and Convention building.
Tickets for that will go on sale this week at www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayes.com.
According to theatre board members, the idea was generated when they realized that bringing the long beloved, internationally acclaimed group to Jefferson would probably benefit the community as a whole if it was fashioned as a two-day event prior to the concert.
Plans are being formulated to include a Pioneer Days parade
on Saturday, Sept. 4, focusing on the earliest days of Jefferson with old-fashioned wagons and carriages as well as equestrians in costume of the pioneer days when the town was first founded along the Big Cypress River.
Later on that day a street dance will be held on Austin Street with a live band from 6-8 p.m. where prizes will be given for the best early-Texas-costumes for a man, a woman and a child.
The following day, Sunday, Sept. 5, will see a noon feed of featuring vittles of the period at a location to be determined.
It will also have live entertainment that could include exhibition square dancers and a trick roping artist.
A recreation of a shootout that originally occurred in downtown Jefferson is also being planned in the actual location of the event pending arrangements
The committee is still gathering funds to support the proposed activities of the two days and some donations have already been received.
Those who wish to hop on the “pioneer wagon” can do so by donating amounts that start with as little as $100 and go up to $1000 or more. The sponsoring organization, the Opera House Theatre Players, is a 501(c) organization and all donations are fully tax deductible.
Letters will be issued to those donors for their benefit.
Anyone interested in helping should contact theatre president Marcia Thomas at 903-665-8243 for information.